The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-12-23
JACKS CHRISTMAS BOX.
Story fo- the Yong.

II vs. NAT.StinlS-cNG. ! good old
i2sIIOncI nrist.rIs to-. every one said.
but Iack Turner shook his head.
ITS all very we'll to have plenty of
snow and Ice when you can stav lnlogri
with !olr feet on the fender, or put on
lurS when you want TO 90 out ho said
Ia hIs mother; but when YOU haven't =
ire, and haze to ITclr the same snOcI
that you wore IL The summer, its quite
uI-cTGuL.
Never n3ini Jack" sid the widow
brightly; Il IN going u take this dress
hOne This evening; and ii YOU 20 to bed
early you Will keep pretty warm IN
il bring III some cOais and nice little
bIt OF meat Tor tomorrow
80 p!um-pu4dlng, mother? ?' said
Jack, ami tuen he hun, his h,aI.
ashamed that he had addcI 10 his
mothers bur len by letting her see what
most troubled hiAI Just then lie was
Only boy Oi twelve, and coll toes and
TINA clothing seemed very little co upared
IL tbs ml--ry OF = Christians without !
padding.
III see, Jack, what I can do said
Hrs. Turner IS she folded up the dress.
= on see the money Will have 10 last Us
many days. IOr l shall not get any more
wOrH TIL after the hOiIIys are over.
Cheer mp, my boy; W. have had = hard
hfc OF II since your father died, but
lllE--HS '-D'A We VIII nave q DIlIntpT
hrIstmas next year. Try and bear the
disappointment uraycly, my boy, Tor the
SAKE OF the saviour who diI 50 much Tor
US.
I'D like to do somo grand thiug.
mother; II can't matter much what /
think about our plum-puiding, and I'm
50 hungry that think alter al d rather
have an extra lump OF bread AMI meat. "
That's what We all say, Jack. Wo
all want to- do great things: and vet ii
We are not faithful in little things
how can we ever hop 10 do the great
ones? DO you remember the two lines
your father used TO say 50 often p
"Do the thing that's nearest, though its dun at
whiies,
Helping, when you meet them, lame dogs over
stiles"
"Now, whilst I am out, Just you think
whether you can help any one; OF
course, 1t doesn't mean only dogs, il
means any one in difficulty or danger
And now good night my BOY, Tor / hope
You viii he fast asleep when l como
back. There is some bread and cheese
IN the cupboard
Jack got out the bread AMI cheese, AMI
began TO eat it; then, as the bells OF the
village church burst into 4 joyful peal
he went to the door AN loolci out.
The snow WAS thick on earth and tree,
AM the moon shed a silvrry light upon
all. At the end of the garden WAS 4
pigeon house which Mr.. Turner had
built many years before, when his bus
incss was proSp-ring, and Il long illness
Ia not chained his purse.
You poor little pigeons" said Jack
aloud; Il expect you have more to
grumble at than | have, for | don't be-
hcve you can pick up any food now, and
| forgot ali ABOUT YOU"
Then hc scattered a big piece OF his
breaI Just before the pigcOn-hOusc, and
thought how pleased the birds would DO
in - ''OrnIng.
"Halloal Jack, is that you o' sal a
CHEEKY vo ce. "Do YoI feel inclined for
moonlight trip? I've lost one Of my
shcep,. and what's worse still, I've lost
Dash"
1t was Farmer White, who was very
glad to have the chance of n companion
IN his search. lack was very fond o.
Dash, who had often gone fcr walks with
INN when the sheep were safely folded,
ani he was very sorry TO hear that it
was more than fOur-and twenty hours
since anything had been seen Of him
Il expect something went wrong with
the sheep, and Dash is ST wing near il, -
SAID tho lar ncr, as they walked qui xiv
over the crisp snow. The worst o. X is
that he woull die OF starvation before he
would move from his post il he has
found the sheep"
Just then a gust OF wind blew the
sound OF the bells towards them, and the
farmer went on.
a fine tnIu- il Is. too, to be trampinr
like this Oh Christmas-evc after q lost
sheep and lost dog. And vet it isn't
so bad after all, for it was ut Christmas
that the goo Lord Jesus came into the
wori To save u. who had strayed from
the io!I like poor silly sheep that We
werc.'
They walked on, occasionally whist
ling loudly, till at last the farmer began
TO lose heart: Its 10 good going any
farther"
NO, no; let us try little longer. Let
me call him, AMI you listen said Jacl"
Sudd My, through the silence, there
came the very echo o. a bark, 50 lar
away an weak it sounded. But it was
enough to put new lie into the two
sedrchers, and they stepped ont bravcly
over the cr.sp snow rs II they had only
Just started.
Then at last they came upon 4 sad, sad
sight. iOor Dash sat by mound OF
snow, SO cold and exhausted that he
coul.l hardly move even when his mas
ter pat ar arn around him; and poor
Jack. over tIr 'd and excited, shed warm
tears on his poor patient face.
The sheep l. under that noun J, Won
may be sure; but VIC can't dig 1t NJ to-
night"
''Oh, yes We can" said Jack. forgctfuI
OF ali fatigue an together they worked
with the spade which the farmer had
brought till they touched the sheep, and
foun that 1t was quite dead 1t had
probably fallen down exhausted or hurt.
and then becn covered by the heavy iall
OF snow.
1t VAS past two O'Clock when they